When content provider applications are running on a media player or other device, the content provider applications need to use the right user credentials to ensure access and rights are enforced properly, and in the case of impression-powered playback, that the right impressions are counted against the right user.
In second screen based interactions, a first screen is used to playback content, while the second screen is used to discover and control that content. One issue with many second screen based interaction experiences is that there is an explicit pairing between the controlling device on the second screen and the first screen player, to force the use of the same identity on both the first and second devices, such as a controller and a player device. This situation presents a user with a limited and cumbersome experience where the user has to deal with a pairing operation that usually involves yet another device, such as entering a pairing code on a computer with a separate web browser, or requires the use of another peripheral device to enter the exact same credentials on both devices. This also limits the user experience in the sense that only the provisioned account can be used on the first screen regardless of whose second screen device is being used, making a social aspect of controlling a television and sharing videos a complex process.